Happy 4th of July! There is a full day of baseball, so let’s get right into it. In this article, I will be breaking down both the seven-game early-slate, along with the main-slate. Here we go!
Pitchers
(Early)
Jose Quintana (CHC): $7,900 vs. DETÂ
Although he has had a pretty rough start to 2018, the Cubs starter should be inline for a solid outing this afternoon. The Tigers have a watered down lineup with just a couple of hitters to look out for. Nick Castellanos is crushing left-handed pitchers this season, but otherwise, this lineup leaves a lot to be desired. Quintana becomes the default number one pitcher based on price. Aaron Nola should score the highest raw points, but needs around 35 DraftKings points to pay off value at the $13,100 price tag. Sean Manaea is priced way up due to the matchup and Jose Berrios has a tough matchup in a great hitters ballpark. There is a risk with Jose Quintana, but at the discounted price, he is the top option.
Mike Leake (SEA): $5,300 vs. LAAÂ
After being priced up to $6,400 last week in Baltimore, Mike Leake is now priced $1,100 less at home against the Angels. Sure, the matchup is tough. There are not a lot of strikeouts with these hitters. However, at this price, he just needs to go somewhat deep into the game, get some strikeouts with the win. With the amount of salary remaining, there is plenty of room to fit in the stud hitters in great matchups.
(Main-slate)
Marcus Stroman (TOR): $6,500 vs. NYMÂ
The Mets are still a team to target starting pitchers with. Marcus Stroman is coming off a great game against the Tigers where he was able to strikeout four through seven innings of work. He threw just 90 pitches in his second game back from injury and showcased fantastic command. Stro-show is not a strikeout pitcher, so the ceiling is certainly limited here. However, at a low cost, the Blue Jays starter can exceed 3X value with ease. Coors Field is in play, once again, this evening and we will need the extra salary to pay up for bats.
Sal Romano (CIN): $5,100 vs. CWS
The White Sox lose their DH in Cincinnati as they continue their Inter-league series. This is a high-risk, pitching option in a great matchup. The White Sox have the second highest strikeout rate at 25.4% on the 2018 season. Romano has much better numbers at home and at near minimum price, he should be able to get the job done.
Hitting Stacks
(Early)
New York YankeesÂ
Julio Teheran will try to limit the power-hitting Yankees. It is no secret that the Braves starter struggles a lot more against lefties. Right field is much shorter in Yankee Stadium which will give Teheran even more issues in this one. All lefties are very intriguing in this matchup, but Aaron Judge and Giancarlo Stanton are always worth a look as well.
Philadelphia PhilliesÂ
Yefry Ramirez has just 9.1 innings in the MLB in 2018, but 72 in Triple-A. Ramirez has just three different pitches in his arsenal which gives hitters a huge advantage as they go through the order and see him a second time. They can identify which pitch is coming in a lot easier and adjust accordingly. The Phillies have some big hitters in the lineup who should be able to solve the young, 24-year-old.
Oakland A’sÂ
Luis Perdomo will take the mound against the A’s this afternoon. Perdomo does not have a lot of innings in 2018 but did pitch a full season in 2017. His career wOBA is .363 to LHH and .344 to RHH. The Oakland A’s have been on fire in the last 14 days, hitting 21 home runs, with a .272 AVG, and 120 wRC+.
(Main-slate)
Love our content? Check out the GoingFor2 Live Podcast Network!
Colorado Rockies / San Francisco GiantsÂ
Now that the Giants are adjusted to the thin air in Mile High, expect the bats to wake up. Tyler Anderson does have major reverse split stats, so be aware of the Giants left-handed hitters. Regardless, two southpaws are taking the mound in Coors Field, which means a lot of bats are in play. Nolan Arenado and Trevor Story are locks to go deep. Andrew Saurez has given up eight of his nine homers to righties and the Rockies are two of the best. The game has an implied run total of 11.5 as I am writing this, but should increase as we get closer to lock.
Cleveland IndiansÂ
It is hot in the mid-west and although the ballpark is huge in Kansas City, Ian Kennedy is a flyball pitcher who is prone to giving up a couple homers. The top half of this Indians lineup is tough to navigate through with a lot of pop. With the expensive hitters at Coors Field and the Houston Astros, the Indians should go overlooked once again.
Toronto Blue JaysÂ
Corey Oswalt is set to make his third MLB appearance in 2018. He does not have a lot of experience but has given up three home runs in his short stint. The Jays are a very resilient team. The Mets used a lot of relievers last night and will try to keep Oswalt in the game as long as possible. The Jays are an inexpensive secondary stack which can be paired with any of the higher priced teams at low ownership.
ATTN Dynasty Commissioners: Do you want to do something cool for your league? How about a 1-hour live show dedicated to YOUR league? Team-by-team breakdowns, rankings, and more. For details and to book a show, visit: GoingFor2.com/plp.
